TFU.info founder Ant joins John to tell how the Transformers toy archive started in 2002. It came from an IRC dare and a shelf-a-day photo plan, and he explains why the site now leans on fan submissions. The longtime friends also weigh how BotCon has changed and why Generations keeps recycling G1 characters. They close on the 2015 Robots in Disguise cartoon and its missing villain toys.

How BotCon Has Changed

Ant went to every BotCon from 1999 into the early 2010s, but only one in the last several years. He says the fandom has evolved around a convention that mostly stayed the same, while Hasbro now spreads its news across other venues. He praises Fun Publications’ phone customer service. But he faults long-running problems like two-hour pre-registration lines and an unwillingness to admit mistakes. John says he gives Fun Publications more slack than most, and both tease a future BotCon-focused mini-cast.

The Origin of TFU.info

TFU.info launched in 2002 after years of alt.toys.transformers posts asking for a Transformers site like yojo.com. On the Ouija IRC chat, a friend told Ant to build it himself. Rob Gerbracht, a former OTFCC comic writer who ran Transformers Multiverse, also encouraged him. Ant photographed one display shelf a day, which took about a month. He organized the information from fan sources of the time, including Steve Stonebreaker’s FAQ, then asked fans for photos of what was missing.

Photo Submissions and the 2,000 Images Challenge

Today more entries are missing from the site than the original site had in total, Ant says. The line has grown that much across the US, Asia and Japan. The site’s 2,000 Images Challenge lists everything still needed, and the guidelines only require white printer paper. Submissions come in bursts, and Ant notes it is hard to get a fan to snap five photos of one toy. John’s photos of the Japanese Generations Jetfire are already on the site.

Generations, G1 Recycling and Saturation

Both feel Generations is starting to fold in on itself with repeat G1 characters. Ant found 65 results for “Optimus Prime” on Toys R Us. He quotes Patton Oswalt: “everything’s available everywhere forever.” He hopes the 2015 Robots in Disguise cartoon, with Bumblebee as leader, and the comics’ non-Prime focus point Hasbro toward other characters. John shares how a friend’s young son wanted a G1-themed party after finding the cartoon on Netflix. The parents had to print their own G1 art.

What Ant Is Collecting and the Robots in Disguise Villain Gap

Ant buys some toys for himself and others just to photograph for the site. He calls the Power Battlers Optimus Prime sword figure “one of the goofiest, terrible, great toys in history.” He is big on Combiner Wars but wants mold reuse spread out more. He objects to pricing by size, citing Year of the Horse Starscream and an upcoming Optimus Primal reissue. He has fallen for the Robots in Disguise cartoon and collects the Warrior Class figures. His main complaint is the lack of villains on shelves: Steeljaw is the only Warrior Class Decepticon against seven or eight Autobots. John agrees, singling out Thunderhoof.

Contributors: John DeLuna, Ant (guest)

The RFC Mini-cast

Brian Kilby

Your snack-size Transformers podcast every week. Get in-depth reviews, commentary and more in 30 minutes or less!

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